


Brotherly Love

by fairyplumprincess



Series: The Rise Of The King [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders
Genre: Background Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Background Morality | Patton Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Are Twins, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders Needs a Hug, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Angst, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED PUTTING OTHERS FIRST - SELFISHNESS VS SELFLESSNESS REDUX, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders-centric, Deceit Sanders Being an Asshole, Deceit Sanders Being an Idiot, Deceit Sanders-centric, Deceit's real name is in this, Domestic Disputes, Hurt Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Hurt Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Insecure Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Morally Neutral Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Morally Neutral Deceit Sanders, No Incest, No Smut, Not Beta Read, Post-Episode: Putting Others First - Selfishness v Selflessness Redux, Post-Episode: Putting Others First - Selfishness vs Selflessness Redux, Protective Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Spoilers, Sympathetic Dark Sides (Sanders Sides), Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, coping fic, housewife Dark Creativity Remus "The Duke" Sanders, may not make sense if you haven't watched POF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23976328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyplumprincess/pseuds/fairyplumprincess
Summary: After finally revealing his name to the light sides and his host, plus an amazing dinner, Deceit can’t wait to tell his boyfriend about his amazing day.He’d be so proud of what he’d said, right?Right?
Relationships: Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit Sanders
Series: The Rise Of The King [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1732288
Comments: 21
Kudos: 193





	Brotherly Love

**Author's Note:**

> so the latest episode destroyed me so this is how I’m coping.  
> MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR THE LATEST EPISODE (PUTTING OTHERS FIRST - SELFISHNESS VS SELFLESSNESS REDUX)  
> This fic is inspired by https://twitter.com/daslemoncakes/status/1256641082881970177?s=21 this tweet, so I simply had to run with this idea  
> Also, send me / tag me in your POF fics because I’m dying for more fan content of it and it’s only been like 22 hours.  
> I’m also not changing Deceit’s name is Glass Houses cause fuck that, but I may for Sweet Sinner (their name was going to be Shakespeare so which is the lesser of two evils? Y’all decide in the comments) (also please comment I rely on your interaction for my self worth) (hahaha just kidding….unless?)

“Remus? I’m home!” ~~Deceit~~ Janus called out as we went into the dark side of the Mindscape.

It felt so relieving to be heard and to tell Thomas his name and for _once_ he felt adequate enough for his host and—

“So you stayed over there for dinner?” Remus asked, shoulder resting on the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

There was no admiration or mania in Remus’ voice, just a basic neutral tone (which was _not_ like Remus at all), but Janus didn’t taste the sulfur of deception roll on his tongue, so it wasn’t somebody pretending to be Remus either. _That_ was a first, and the couple didn’t have many of those left, so Janus looked up and studied his boyfriend in questioning glances.

Remus was in a mildly corroded, over sized gray tee and Adidas track pants. He was even wearing slippers that resembled Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon instead of leaving his hairy feet bare or in heels for the fun of it. Remus wasn’t even wearing makeup.

_That’s weird,_ Janus thought to himself, _I could’ve sworn Remus put on his whole regalia this morning._

Remus didn’t smell as gross as he normally did and his hair was swept up in a ponytail on top of his head, little stray pieces let free to frame his face.

Remus’s eyes looked a bit puffy, _P_ _erhaps he showered already? He usually would wait until we would shower together. That’s an interesting choice._

“Are you just going to stare at me like I have three heads?” Remus’s voice held a tinge of annoyance, but he quickly masked it with his usual wicked tone, “Because I can grow some, if you’d like!”

“Oh, sorry,” Janus shook his head, placing his hat on the coat stand. “I did stay over there for dinner, yes. Patton made oven roasted chicken and mashed potatoes and a Caesar—“

“You could’ve stopped by,” Remus cut him off, shifting his hands so one rested on his hip while the other lightly pushed himself off the wall, “to, I don’t know, let your boyfriend know you’re coming home late? Let him know that you’re safe? Let him know to not bother cooking for the two of you?”

“I’m sorry, love bug. I just got so caught up in being heard for once and not wanting it to end so soon that it completely slipped my mind to stop over here to let you know where I was.” Janus chuckled, unclipping his cape and putting it up on the tree next to his hat.

He heard a light scoff and shuffling that was moving away from him, so Janus turned around and saw that his boyfriend had quietly made his way back into the kitchen. _Oh shit, the kitchen. Dinner. That’s why Remus is upset._

“Bug, you know I love your cooking, but how could I refuse Patton when we were already having such a wonderful discussion? You understand!” Janus jeered, trying to get Remus to see his point of view. But Remus was hardly listening. He was washing the dishes from his dinner sin boyfriend.

“Say, what did you cook? I’ll eat what you made right now!” Janus bargained, walking behind Remus to wrap his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. “Or we can have it for lunch tomorrow!”

“I already gave yours away. I didn’t bother making dessert since the saccharine might’ve made me more nauseous.” Remus continued washing the utensils and pretended that Janus wasn’t next to him, wasn’t holding onto him, wasn’t even there.

“Gave mine away? To the little rats we have? Remus, what did you make that made you think that wasn’t a bit much for them?” Janus questioned before he processed the second part of his annoyed significant other’s statement, “What do you mean ‘more nauseous’?”

“You took Roman’s spot at the table, so he ate here. You guys had just started supper when he finally went down, but he decided to not bother when he saw you.” Remus said matter-of-factly, trying to walk away despite the arms around him.

“Remus, stop.” Janus snapped, spinning the green side so that he’d face him and pinned him to the counter. “There is more than enough spaces for all of us to sit there. It’s an eight person table! Even Thomas and—“

“Are you deception or are you denial?” Remus spat, crossing his arms in between himself and his boyfriend once again.

“Excuse me?” Janus couldn’t believe his ears nor his eyes. _What the fuck was happening?_ “Wait, _Roman_ was here? In the _dark side_? Why would he ever do that?”

“Well, I don’t know!” Remus jeered sarcastically, “Is it such a crime that my own brother wanted to spend time with me? Or is it just shocking? I mean, considering you didn’t want to and you hardly feel any guilt about it, I’d call the second like I’m bearing arms?”

“That’s not what I — okay, you know what? You’re upset at me for something else, and I’m not sure why or what it is. I thought you’d be happy for me! For getting what I’ve always wanted!”

“Forgetting about your own boyfriend for a little while?”

“What? No, absolutely not! I was finally heard and I felt secure enough to tell them something personal. I thought you’d be excited for me, like you couldn’t believe I told them that—“

“That you think I’m evil?” There it was. The broken tone in Remus’s voice, the slight shake underneath Janus’s fingertips — god, he should’ve put the pieces together sooner!

“It was a cheap jab to get at your brother for making fun of my name. I don’t think you’re evil, you’re just macabre!” Janus tried backtracking, but he let Remus go.

“I thought you said you loved that about me. Clearly, you don’t!” Remus threw his hands up, walking towards the table to take off the table runner and the sheet. He was going to spend extra time in the laundry room instead of even attempting to sleep in the same bed as his boyfriend.

“I do! I swear, I do; I just wanted him to feel bad for laughing at me, make him uncomfortable too, you know?” Janus pleaded, walking a few paces behind Remus to still give him space.

“He already was!” Remus whipped around, making Janus take a step back. “It’s a bit rude, but he doesn’t react well to super sudden change — and you know that! You’re just going to villainize him for laughing when he’s uncomfortable? You _know_ that the both of us do that.”

“So I’m not allowed to be human and display my own emotions? Be hurt and simply swallow it?” Now, Janus was mad at both of the creative twins. How was this fair? “How is my retaliation shot any different than you being a bitch once I got home? For missing your little lasagna or whatever-the-fuck you made because I was having a good time?”

Remus didn’t move, didn’t flinch, didn’t blink. _~~Wow.~~_ ~~_Really?_~~ ~~_I can't believe you._~~ ~~_How long have you been holding that one in?_~~

Janus’s words settled in the air as the snake smacked his own hand over his mouth. _Wait-_

“I want to say ‘wow’ but is there really any point? This doesn’t surprise me. Hell, it doesn’t even disappoint me.”

“Remus, I—“

“I _what_ , Deceit?” Remus’s voice went cold as he when over to the closet to toss the fabrics that were in his hands. “I always felt like I knew exactly what you were were going to say, and vice versa, because we were made for each other. Wouldn’t you say the same?”

“Remus, I— of course I do, bug, so—“ Janus didn't miss how he used his title that he had just broken free from instead of his name. _God, this can't be healed with a simple apology._

“So why do I feel like I’ve never known you? Like I’m never going to?” Remus tried to hold back his tears, but he broke along with his voice.

Janus couldn’t do anything but stand there as he watched Remus stand there and cry. It made him cry too, but what would he do? _Should_ he do? _Could_ he do?

“Are you going to stay with your brother?” Janus squeaked out after a few minutes of the both of them crying near each other, too far to hold onto one another for comfort ~~_both mentally and physically._~~

“No. How about you ask your precious Morality how he feels about letting you stay over there?” Remus retorted a little too quickly, as if he was waiting for Janus to say those exact words, “since you’re all buddy-buddy now!”

“You know what? I will!” Janus began to shout, feeling a spark underneath himself light up.

“Don’t make the same mistake as Virgil and take clothes with you when you leave for the light side! Don’t want you stuck happier over there with a shortage of outfits!” Remus called out over his shoulder as he headed upstairs, no doubt in the yellow side's mind that he was headed towards their room — meaning, Janus’s room that Remus never left. Unless Remus was feeling extra inspired to create some intrusive thoughts and needed more space, Remus had no reason to be in his own bedroom anymore.

“Oh, and you’re just going to safeguard MY bedroom?” Janus called out as he ran up the stairs to challenge the creative side, but when he got up there, it wasn’t his yellow door that was open. It was the green one adjacent to it.

“Why the fuck would I go in there? I have my own room.” Remus asked as he stepped out of his room again, shoving something into his pant pocket.

“W-well, all of your stuff is in my room!” Janus tried reasoning, standing y’all and crossing his arms.

Remus waved his hand in the air for the second, lighter still tucked underneath his thumb. “And now it’s not. I already texted Roman that if he wants to have a sleepover over here, he’s more than welcome to; especially since you won’t be up here with us.”

“I didn’t ask the light sides if I could stay over yet.” Janus mentioned, trying not to sound hurt as to how simple it was for Remus to just let him go.

“Doesn’t matter. Does it look like I care? Even if they don’t let you stay, which they will because they’re all sugar cookies and rainbows over there, you won’t be upstairs. You can sleep on the couch.” Remus had started walking towards the balcony, his favorite smoking spot. _Damn, when was the last tine he smoked?_

“So I get a little too close to _our_ goal without you and you get annoyed, so you grab one of your joints or your cigars or whatever the fuck it was and decide to safeguard my own room that you’re not even staying in!” Janus couldn’t believe it. “That’s gas-lighting! That’s control! That’s — that’s not fair!”

“If you’re in the room next to us, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to hold myself back from putting my morning star through you.”

_That_ took the typically deceitful side by surprise. Remus never _ever_ threatened to hurt him - even at his worst. Janus uncrossed his arms, letting Remus speak freely.

“First, you flirted with my brother during the little courtroom scene to prove a point, without feeling the need to mention it to me until a month later when you made the same pick up line to me and then you were all like ‘your brother thought it was cute, you should have seen the blush he got when I said it the first time’ like it was nothing, and now today? If not for just how you made my brother feel, it’s about how you used one of us to hurt the other over multiple occasions!”

Well, none of that was wrong or unfounded. And, certainly, none of it was a lie. “So that’s it? All of our time together ended like it’s nothing?”

Remus barely acknowledged Janus’s question beyond shifting his feet. “Don’t try to come outside to talk to me. I’m not giving you a fucking epipen for your cigarette smoke allergy if you bring your reaction onto yourself.”

And with that, Remus walked out onto the balcony and closed the doors. Remus also grabbed some towels he had put out earlier to stop any draft from bringing the smoke inside. And even though neither of them would mention it, Janus saw that Remus did have an epipen on the table with him in case Janus did start having a reaction.

Janus walked into his own room, since Remus wouldn’t actually block him from entering any space he so desired, and grabbed some clothes.

Even though he fucked up, Janus knew that the two of them just needed some space before they could talk like adults again. Remus still cared about him too much, and vice versa — that wouldn’t end within a few hours.

When Janus opened his pajama drawer, he saw a postcard with watercolor painting of a dragonfly on top of a snake. When Janus opened it, it read:

_ I love you and I’m so proud of you for sharing your name. _

_ I can’t wait to say it in front of everybody, preceded by “I do”. _

_ Love, Bug _

Janus brought the postcard to his lips, giving a chaste kiss he wished to place on his lover’s cheek — but he couldn’t, so this would have to do for now.

As Janus put together his bag, summoning his cape and cap from downstairs, he figured he should probably apologize to Roman before he did anything else on the light side of the Mindscape.

That was the only way to begin to make this right.

_ Right? _

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed this POF content since it is my new favorite episode since Thomas worked SO HARD on it and you could genuinely tell. I loved the graphics and the story and how they didn't disregard previous episodes for the sake of present ones and ughhhh *cheffs kiss* my heart belongs to Thomas Sanders and the Sanders Sides  
> But you all should (hopefully) be getting more content as Cuomo announced that school is officially closed for the rest of the semester and I got tested for COVID-19 today (I literally wrote this during the car ride to the testing facility) so I only have homework to distract me (and like,,,,, who doesn't love procrastinating on their homework to write fanfics instead?)


End file.
